Is laughter the best medicine? Find out at EuroPrevent 2019. The annual scientific congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). This international event will be held 11 to 13 April at the Lisbon Congress Centre (CCL) in Portugal.
Explore the scientific programme and discover novel research on what people can do to reduce their risk of heart disease.
The meeting will showcase 600 new pieces of research, including:
- How being optimistic, cheerful and laughing are good for health.
- Whether owning a dog is good or bad for the heart.
- Lifestyle tips for living longer.
- The “best” time to have a heart attack for optimal recovery.
- How yogic breathing can decrease length of stay in hospital and readmissions.
- What you can do to reduce the risks of stroke and atrial fibrillation.
- How to help your spouse quit smoking.
- How age at menarche and menopause influence stroke risk.
- The main reasons people do -- and don’t -- return to work after a heart attack.
- What lifestyle factors are associated with sudden cardiac death in firefighters.
EuroPrevent is the leading international congress on preventive cardiology, covering prevention, epidemiology and population science, cardiac rehabilitation, sports cardiology, and basic and translational research. An estimated 1,400 cardiologists, allied professionals, general practitioners, scientists, and policymakers from more than 50 countries will attend.
Leading experts will present the latest research during 60 sessions over three days. Of particular interest: A session is devoted to reducing cardiovascular risk during mass endurance races, with talks by Professor Sanjay Sharma, medical director of the London Marathon and part of the London 2012 Olympics medical team, and Dr Aaron Baggish, medical director of the Boston Marathon.1
An athlete will tell his story of cardiac arrest, heart transplantation, followed by rehabilitation, plus ironman triathlons.2 The cardiologist who treated him will discuss how heart patients can return to sports. Also in that session: returning to less demanding sports after a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack.
Featured presentation: The most up-to-date knowledge on what to do when an athlete collapses.3 “Health professionals must be able to distinguish if it is due to fatigue, dehydration or a serious heart problem,” said Professor Jean-Paul Schmid, Chairperson of the Scientific Programme.
Up-to-the-minute data on the impact of the environment on heart health will also be presented, including: the link between aircraft noise and cardiovascular disease; whether air pollution negates the health benefits of outdoor sports; and the effect of training in hot and humid vs. cold and dry climates.4
Find out how physical activity can improve cognitive function and the impact of other cardiovascular risk factors on dementia in a state-of-the-art session on the “heart–brain axis”.6 “If the brain has sufficient blood flow, does hypertension still raise the hazard of dementia?” asked Prof. Schmid. “Get the answer to this and other burning questions at this year’s EuroPrevent congress.”
To raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity, a number of events have been organised with the Portuguese Society of Cardiology. These include:
- Dancing demo for delegates on Thursday at 19:15.
- Relaxing exercise for delegates on Friday at 07:40.
- Bike tour for members of the public on Saturday at 14:30.
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.